Mbour hospital project, valued at 92 billion, suspended; legal battle: Serigne Guèye Diop launches offensive against Pastef MPs

The National Assembly's rejection of the finance bills has heightened tensions between the Executive and Parliament. While on a tour of Mbour, the Minister of Industry and Trade, Serigne Guèye Diop, warned of the automatic suspension of the 92 billion FCFA hospital project, summoned the 16 municipalities for a meeting this Saturday, November 14th, and cautioned that the Head of State would use his "constitutional means" to circumvent the impasse.

The Mbour hospital construction project, estimated at 92 billion CFA francs, could be affected by the budget freeze, according to the Minister of Industry and Trade. Serigne Guèye Diop announced an awareness-raising meeting on Saturday, November 14, with representatives from the 16 municipalities and warned that the President of the Republic could use constitutional means to break the deadlock.

The standoff over the amended budget law (LFR) and the initial budget law (LFI) is beginning to worry government authorities regarding investments. In Mbour, Serigne Guèye Diop is sounding the alarm. The Minister of Industry and Trade fears that the National Assembly's rejection of the budget bills could jeopardize several projects announced in the department, including the construction of a new hospital estimated at 92 billion CFA francs.

Speaking to the press, the minister particularly emphasized the potential consequences of this situation on the initial stages of the hospital project. Studies, exploratory work, and procurement procedures were among the operations whose launch was planned under the provisions of the amended budget law. "When an amending finance law is rejected, all the new projects concerned are automatically suspended," he explained. Five hospital projects are reportedly affected by the budget forecasts, including the one in Mbour.

For Serigne Guèye Diop, the consequences are not limited to the health sector. Industrial investments, local government budgets, and municipal programs could also be affected. He believes that the population risks paying the price for a disagreement between institutions.

A meeting to mobilize the population

It is in this context that the minister announced a rally scheduled for Saturday, November 14th at 4:00 PM in Mbour. Representatives from the department's sixteen municipalities are expected at this meeting, which aims to explain the implications of the budget freeze to the public. The minister is keen to dispel any ambiguity about the objective of this mobilization. "This is not a mere social gathering. Not at all. It is a meeting for communication and awareness-raising," he emphasized.

In his address, he also defended the government's economic record, particularly the efforts made regarding consumer goods prices, infrastructure, and industrial investments. He mentioned price reductions, which he estimated at 320 billion FCFA in 2025 and 802 billion FCFA in 2026, as well as the stable prices of rice, oil, cement, flour, and bread. Serigne Guèye Diop also noted the resumption of dialogue with international financial partners and mentioned the prospect of mobilizing $2.2 billion, or approximately 1,500 billion FCFA, through the aforementioned technical agreement with these partners.

But it was primarily on the institutional front that his rhetoric took a more aggressive turn. The minister believes that the rejection of the two budget bills puts the country in a difficult position, even as it seeks to rebuild relationships with its partners and revive its investments. He thus announced a possible legal battle and asserted that the President of the Republic has constitutional means at his disposal to break this deadlock, including regarding the promulgation of the budget. "We therefore have no other choice but to prepare for this legal battle," he declared.

The minister also criticized the Pastef party members of parliament, accusing them of prioritizing political calculations over economic and social concerns. He reproached them for complicating government action at a time when, in his view, Senegal needs to consolidate its gains. Despite the tensions, Serigne Guèye Diop remained adamant: "Senegal will not come to a standstill." This statement reflects the government's determination not to let the parliamentary standoff jeopardize its ambitions, even though the institutional arrangements for resolving the crisis remain a major challenge.